Optimism abounds as Pistons head into training camp

AUBURN HILLS — Every NBA team is optimistic heading into training camp. A new season brings new opportunities and a fresh start.

The Pistons were optimistic at their annual media day Monday with training camp set to begin Tuesday morning.

But the Pistons optimism this season seems a bit different than the past few years. There is an excitement that hasn’t been there.

“For me just looking in the guy’s face, they all seem really excited to be here,” Pistons center Andre Drummond said. “They want to be here. That’s the best part about it.

“As you can see everybody is smiling and just ready for the season to begin.”

With eight new players and a new head coach in Maurice Cheeks, the Pistons have good reason to believe this year can be different.

Detroit’s roster overhaul in the offseason included the signing of Josh Smith and former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, trading for point guard Brandon Jennings and drafting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

The talent level of the Pistons’ roster has risen and with it the expectations.

“I don’t expect anything less than the playoffs,” Smith said. “We’re a confident bunch. You see it all over everybody’s faces, the need to win. They want to do it now. When you see people like that, that in tune to being successful, it’s always beneficial.”

Smith signed with the Pistons before the team acquired Jennings and Billups. Smith had faith in the organization before those moves and the addition of two guys like Billups and Jennings only increased his faith.

“I thought we were a playoff team before we got those additions, now I think we’re one of the top (teams) in the East,” Smith said. “That’s my opinion. Adding those two guys to our repertoire it makes us that much more deadly.”

Smith comes to the Pistons with an impressive resume, but also plenty of criticism. Smith at times can wear his emotions on his sleeve, but he doesn’t plan on changing who he is.

“I am who I am,” Smith said. “The reason why I like playing for this organization is because they let you be yourself. That’s what I like. I like to be able to go out there and not worry about anything else but winning basketball games and playing hard. They know how competitive I am. The will that I have to win. I hate losing. Sometimes I might show my frustration, but everybody’s different. That’s what makes us individuals.”

The Pistons have plenty of potential, but how successful they are might rest on the shoulders of Jennings. Cheeks is a former point guard and won a NBA championship in 1983 as a player.

Cheeks had a talk with Jennings before media day and made sure Jennings knows what will be expected of him.

“I just told him I’m going to try to help him with the game itself,” Cheeks said. “He’s a scoring point guard, which I think most point guards are today. We don’t want to restrict the ability of someone like him to be able to score the ball, but he has to be able to run his basketball team. That’s the main thing he has to be able to to do.

“I think with players we have, we have an athletic group, there are going to be times when he has to slow the game down, post the ball to different guys. There are going to be times when he has the ability to take shots. High percentage shots are something that I’m going to be looking for him to do a little bit better. He has that ability to do it. I just told him I’m going to let him know what that position is about and the effect it has on our team. I think he can have a major impact on our team, depending on how he plays the game.”

Jennings appreciated the conversation and he welcomes Cheeks pushing him.

“He said the team goes as far as I go,” Jennings said. “He’s looking for a guy that can come in here with a positive attitude every day. Not a guy that’s always high or too low. Just always right in the middle. He said he’s going to be on me every day and he’s going to put a lot of pressure on me.”

Jennings has drawn criticism for taking too many shots and not shooting a high percentage, but he will have more weapons at his disposal in Detroit with a frontline of Smith, Drummond and Greg Monroe.

A change of scenery could also help Jennings, who has played his whole career up to this point in Milwaukee.

A change could also benefit Smith, who has played his entire career in Atlanta.

A fresh start will likely benefit everyone and Cheeks made it clear the past is in the past.

“Everything is new here,” Cheeks said. “No disrespect to anybody else, but everything is new here. Habits are created starting tomorrow. We can’t talk about what was before. We’re talking about what we create from tomorrow and on.”